BERLIN: Muslims across Germany held a day of prayer and rallies on Friday to condemn both Islamic extremism and a backlash against their faith that has seen arson attacks on mosques.

Some 2,000 mosques joined the event “Muslims against hatred and injustice “organised by Germany’s four main Islamic groups, together with government ministers, lawmakers, Christian and Jewish leaders and city mayors.

In Berlin, thousands of faithful knelt on prayer mats under the open sky in the inner-city Turkish and Arabic community hub of Kreuzberg, before listening to speeches in favour of tolerance and against violent jihadism.

“We are seeing how people in the name of Allah commit atrocities, torture others, drive them from their homes and murder them,” said a statement read out in mosques across Germany.

Published in Dawn, September 20th , 2014